Gardening

Whispy ornamental grasses are versatile plants in any garden or landscape. Give your garden four seasons of interest with low-maintenance ornamental grasses. We've rounded up some of the best varieties to try in your yard. You'll love how they look in the wind!

Recipes and Cooking

If you’re a beginner baker who’s just starting out (or a master chef looking to declutter), start with this list of baking must-haves. We’ll help you set up a baking kit for beginners with 21 essential tools. Or for those who already own these tools, this list may finally provide the motivation you need to toss that never-been-used soufflé dish. Building your essential baking toolbox starts here!

Home Improvement Ideas

With so many types of house styles, narrowing the list down to your favorite can be overwhelming. We'll show you the top 10 most popular house styles, including Cape Cod, country French, Colonial, Victorian, Tudor, Craftsman, cottage, Mediterranean, ranch, and contemporary. Here's how to tell the differences between each architectural style.

Cleaning and Organizing

Washing clothes by hand is a little extra work, but it's a well-worth-it laundry chore. Here's how to properly wash clothes by hand, which will give extra life to those special items in your clothes closet.

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is an eye-catching perennial that displays lance-shape succulent leaves decorated with white spots and edged with small whitish teeth. The leaves are known for their gel-like sap often used to soothe burns and moisturize skin. Native to hot, dry regions of Africa, this herbaceous perennial prefers frost-free, sunny, well-drained sites where the night temperature never dips below 50 degrees F. Thankfully, adaptable aloe vera makes a great houseplant; use it on its own or let it add vertical interest to a container of vining houseplants, such as philodendron or ivy. Exceptionally easy to grow, aloe vera is a good choice for a new gardener.

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is an eye-catching perennial that displays lance-shape succulent leaves decorated with white spots and edged with small whitish teeth. The leaves are known for their gel-like sap often used to soothe burns and moisturize skin. Native to hot, dry regions of Africa, this herbaceous perennial prefers frost-free, sunny, well-drained sites where the night temperature never dips below 50 degrees F. Thankfully, adaptable aloe vera makes a great houseplant; use it on its own or let it add vertical interest to a container of vining houseplants, such as philodendron or ivy. Exceptionally easy to grow, aloe vera is a good choice for a new gardener.

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is an eye-catching perennial that displays lance-shape succulent leaves decorated with white spots and edged with small whitish teeth. The leaves are known for their gel-like sap often used to soothe burns and moisturize skin. Native to hot, dry regions of Africa, this herbaceous perennial prefers frost-free, sunny, well-drained sites where the night temperature never dips below 50 degrees F. Thankfully, adaptable aloe vera makes a great houseplant; use it on its own or let it add vertical interest to a container of vining houseplants, such as philodendron or ivy. Exceptionally easy to grow, aloe vera is a good choice for a new gardener.

Growing Aloe Vera

Aloe vera grows best in bright light and well-drained soil. Choose a bright spot, such as a south- or west-facing window, for growing this houseplant. Avoid placing it in direct sunlight as its succulent foliage can get sunburned. As a drought-tolerant plant, this perennial grows best when its soil is allowed to dry out between waterings. Water aloe vera when the top inch of soil is dry to the touch.

Aloe vera can be grown outdoors as a landscape plant in frost-free climates. Like all succulents, it grows best in well-drained soil and bright, sunny conditions. Indoor-grown plants can transition outside for the summer, even in cold climates—as long as nighttime temperatures don't dip consistently below 50 degrees F. Place plants in a spot that receives direct morning sun and afternoon shade and is protected from rain.

Plant aloe transplants or offsets in quality, well-drained potting mix. Replant aloe every few years to refresh the soil. The size of an aloe plant is determined largely by the space it has for root growth. If you would like a large plant, repot it into a large pot to give it more room to grow. If you would like to maintain a small plant, confine it to a small container.

Keep aloe happy by fertilizing it a few times a year with general-purpose fertilizer labeled for use on houseplants per the manufacturer's instructions.